Arsenal star man Aaron Ramsey should have avoided being sent off during their Champions League qualifier against Besiktas, according to Paul Merson.

Ramsey was sent off for two bookable offences in Turkey as the Gunners drew 0-0 in the first leg of the tie and will miss next week's decisive return leg at the Emirates.

He was booked in each half for tugging players back, but the decision to send off the 23-year-old infuriated manager Arsene Wenger, who lamented afterwards that worse fouls had been committed during the match.

"Neither the first nor the second yellow card was deserved," Wenger said. "When you see some of the fouls that were made and we go home with Ramsey sent off, it is a bit unbelievable."

But former Gunner midfielder and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson disagreed, saying not only that the Welshman's first foul was a certain yellow card but that Ramsey forced the referee to make a decision in a heated atmosphere.

"The first one is a nailed-on booking, though, nailed on," Merson told Sky Sports.

"And for the second one, when you're playing away in the Champions League, in a hostile place, don't give the ref a chance.

"He could give a booking, he could easily not give a booking, but don't give the ref an opportunity to do that."

Arsenal had been strong favourites to emerge from Istanbul in a strong position to make it through to the Champions League proper but the stalemate leaves the tie in the balance.

Wenger has however been boosted by the return of German World Cup winners Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski, who are expected to be in the Arsenal squad when they take on Everton on Saturday.